Wednesday, 14 September 2022
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:22-23 NKJV
“You will know them by their fruits.” – Matthew 7:16a NKJV
The Bible, when warning against false prophets, tells us that it is by their fruits that we will know them. I believe the fruits that we should be on the lookout for, are those that testify of the character of Christ in a person (Galatians 5:22-23). The one major challenge here for many of us is that we need to know the character of Christ from the Word because, without the Word, it is easy for us to be deceived. It seems easy to spot the fruits, but if we have to be honest, how many of us got excited about gifts, and concluded that the person was of GOD, only to realize, later, that we were blindsided?
“The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him.” Acts 4:13 TPT. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we will become like Him, there are no two ways about it. It will be so evident that even non-believers will see it! We spend time with Him in His Word and we open our hearts for Him to transform us (2 Corinthians 3:18). When we do this, we won’t have to force fruit or pretend when we are around other believers. Branches don’t labor to produce fruit, they just stay connected to the vine.
A relationship with GOD is built in the secret place, where it is just me and the LORD. GOD will never reject anyone who comes to Him. “Our acceptance isn’t based on performance, we are either rejected or accepted on the basis of relationship, and not on what we have or haven’t done in His name” (Matthew 7:22-23). “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before GOD. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to GOD, and you will begin to sense his grace. The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from GOD. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and He knows better than you what you need. With a GOD like this loving you, you can pray very simply.” Matthew 6:6-8 MSG.
GOD is our Father. There is no need for us to try and earn sonship, ours is to abide and cultivate a relationship with Him, and leave the show-and-tell to those who practice lawlessness, and point people to themselves. Gifts don’t validate sonship, but it is by their fruits that you will know them! It is impossible to be connected to the Vine and not bear fruit. Boasting and showmanship are not fruits of the Holy Spirit. “Therefore, as the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD’” 1 Corinthians 1:31 NLT.
We are either rejected or accepted on the basis of relationship, and not on what we have or haven’t done in His name.
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